In south-western Turkey, between Bodrum and
Izmir near the Aegean Sea, lies the historic town of Milas or Melas. This
ancient city was known as Mylasa and located in a beautiful area with many
archaeological sites. The villages surrounding Milas have an ancient
history of carpets, knotted with a very personal style and vibrant
colours. These styles include carpets with a niche shape in the middle and
a recognizable diamant dome pattern or carpets with wide stylized vertical
edges, but also carpets with a large medallion pattern in the centre with
multiple edges around it. A niche is often called Mihrab. The Milas
carpets made in the surrounding villages were commonly named to this city.

The old Milas carpets have an coloured
woolen warp and weft, sometimes processed with goat hair and a woolen
pole. Between each row several weft threads are processed. Recent Milas
carpets have a base of cotton or wool and a woolen pole. The traditional
type of knot in Milas carpets is the Ghiordes knot. The main colours are
frequently expressive yellow, blue or red, with reddish brown and even
black brown or olive green as complementary colours. The sides of the
Milas carpets are usually finished with two, three or four coloured cords.
The ends are sometimes braided or finished with a coloured wide Kilim
beard with long fringes. The old Milas carpets are not large. Modern Milas
carpets have larger sizes, are very decorative and combine well in classic
or modern interiors.

The Milas carpets have different patterns.
The most famous is the niche shaped dome with a diamond motif, instead of
a pointed arch motif or stepped gable motif, sometimes in red or blue
colours. The top of the niche is often beige containing coloured roses or
star motifs as decoration. Around the niche there are frequently narrow
and wide edges, containing stylized floral motifs or wreath - and palmet
motives. Other Milas carpets just have wide vertical edge patterns,
containing stylized floral motifs or wreath twigs, and sometimes in the
middle a life tree motif. This group carpets is called Milas columns.
Another group the medallion carpets, often have a large medallion in a
flat plane with four corner patterns, framed by a large main edge and on
either side several smaller edges. These edges are sometimes filled with
small and large stylized flower - and star motifs in an octagon shape,
zigzag patterns or arabesques.

If you would like to look at more Milas
carpets please fill out our contact form. Van der Hulst Oriental Carpets
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importers of oriental and Persian carpets.